The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-04-14

-
study IN the evening. We had the
United States Speller, The Introduction,
English Reader, The PreceptOr and Co.
lumOian Orator. In arithmetic our text
books were DAObell, Western
Calculator and Pike. Mental
arithmetic had not then been
introduced, save the multiplication
table, nor were backbOsrds iD use. In
geography we had Adams, Morse, Mich
I'll and Olney. Map drawing was a
common exercise, sn excellent mode ~
acquiring know ledge OF the outlines OF
a country and be course OfriVers. lhs
drawing was done with pentOgr II
first traced with pencil sni atterWRId
marked with ink, then co Ored prd var
u shed. Il grammar We had Murray,
| KTKham and Smith. DR.. Kitchener CON
ulled small grammar which hs had
published H. the Repository office and
used ss E. xt book. The text book in
algebra Was Onnycsstle's, aud on trigO'
nOmetTy aud surveying, Gummere. In
| penmanship We followed the copy sat by
the teacher. The pei made out IT a
goose Qulll. was the universal impls'
ment tor writing, No substitute had
then been inVerted. The outdoor plays
during in'ermissiOn consisted of mat
ball" "cOrner ball" "cat ball " shin
ney," mumble-pe9" and "marOits" Tue
teachers generally took part In the plays,
were expert with the ball and hit nRrd
Corporal punishment was prominent
feature of the discipline. II was graded
according to the offence, chsslislng with
. rod, pointing with rule at an object,
standing on platform with one maud
Tied behind, or wearing a fools cap.
Whether the government was better
than under the later day mode of moral
sussiOn l will not undertake to decide
Night schools we're popular IN those
days, and proved valuable auxiliary in
the acquisition of practical knowledge.
TIE chief studies were confined to Cne
lea ling branches, arithmetic, geo.
gTaphy, grammar and book keeping,
with exercises In composition aud dec
lamatiOn.
Before the Methodist congregation of
our town had building of their own
| they WOr1hlpped lu the east room Of the
secO1d floor; subsequently both nOper
rooms were thrown into one, and fitted
up as q theater. Here, during he wint-
er season. for several years, ambitious
young me0 Of Canton display d their
hlstTiontc talent, receiving The piaudits
Of the patrons and youth Of town. Il
| was during the OCcOp! cy Of the build
ing as the8ter thSt 1t detained the
/ name Of the salt Box"
About 1886 Ire 9atjeet of free schools
cGmmeEcpO 10 agiJRle the UubUU mtDh.
Many Of Ou, Cltiz rs believing in rea-
ersl eiu alton, Insisted that provision
No 9 oIf - t,.
were unable tn educate themselves, as
cOniem lated in The organic law 0t the
State. There were those WHO opposed
the NOV mgnt, eOntendiDg hat 1t was
money thrown away; that the opp)rtu-
nifty would not be improved, However
the school directors, under the law in
force at thai day, decided to try the ex
pertinent, and appropriated so much of
the school funds as was necessary to
defFAy the expenses of three months
term. The upper room of large frame
building. corner nf Rex and Third
streets, known as FOgle's lanyard, was
secured, aud here 10 the winters of
1888 the first free school of Canton was
started under the management of B. +,
Letter, afteTwaTd representative from
this district In Congress. The attend
ance at the free school was at first qui'e
irregular, the pupils were subjected to
many petty annOyaDces from pupils of
other schools. The idea of children
without distinction miDgling together
in the same room was repugnant to the
cultivated senslbilities of many par
ents, but that free school, started In an
old abandoned building In 8n obscure
part of the town, the sport and ridicule
of pupils of pay schools, was the embryo
of growth that has attained the mag.
Ditude and grandeur, fguratiVeIy speak
ing, of this beautiful edifice.
As there was no one authorized to
care for the old academy or make repairs,
it eventually became unfit to occupy,
and in l842 the Board f Directors deci-
dcd to remove the old structure and re-
build. The English Lutheran cOngrega-
ton, then without church, proposed to
subscribe q sufficient amount of money
to meet the cost Of an additional room
to accommodate their congregation,
which proposition was accepted, and q
new building was erected in 1912. 1t
was somewhat In the shape Of maltese
cT0ss, the church room in the center.
with school room on each side and
three rooms above.
Mr.. and Mrs. James COWles were the
first teachers In the new building. DR..
BiedeTmsn taught German school in
the east room on the first floor. A. Nc
5regOr and his father, John McGregOr,
we're popular teachers In this building,
as we'll as Ira M. Allen.
During the winter of 1850-51, the
question Of adopting the Union school
system, passed by the Legislature the
winter previous, was brought before he
people of Canton for adoption. It met
with considerable opposition, and
when submitted to vote was carried by
majority of only 2S. Among the early
friends faVOring The High School system
may be mentioned Judge Belden, DR..
Wallace, A. McGregOr, K. P. Grant, j. G.
Lester, James A. Saxton, Arnold Lynch,
John C. BOekius, John F. Reynolds,
Isaac Harter, B. F. Letter, Dr.. Bracks-
bush.
In the spring of 1851, the first Board
of Education was elected. They took
control of the building and elected Ira
NJ. Allen general superintendent and
principal of the boys grammar and
nigh school, and Miss Betsy COWles, of
blessed memory, p9Fintendent OF the
girls grammar aud nigh school. Each
room seating about 100 pupils, with
assistants In recitation rooms, who
taught classes composed of boys and
| girls sent from these two rooms, Al.
though the boys and girls of
these departments occupied sep8r-
sic rooms during study hours
they recited together. Besides these
there were secondary and primary de
pRrtments in the same building, each
seating about 200 children. Two other
primary schools were In operation, one
IN the northern part of town and the
other In the eastern, making an enroll